Arsenal handed major blow as midfielder suffers injury that will rule him out for 3 months: Reports

Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has reportedly been ruled out for three months meaning he will miss tomorrow's (September 3) clash with Manchester United.

CaughtOffside's Con Harrison claims on X (formerly Twitter) that Partey is set to miss three months of action but it's not due to a hamstring injury. The Ghanaian has played in three of the Gunners' opening league games.

Partey was substituted in the 56th minute of Arsenal's 2-2 draw with Fulham last time out but there didn't appear to be an issue. His potential absence comes as a massive blow for Mikel Arteta who is already without Jurrien Timber for several months.

The Ghana international's future was uncertain throughout the summer amid reported interest from Saudi Arabia. However, the 30-year-old remained with the Gunners and is seemingly viewed as a starter alongside Declan Rice in midfield.

Partey will miss Arsenal's huge encounter with Manchester United on Sunday at the Emirates. Injuries have constantly plagued the midfielder's spell at the Emirates. He missed five league games last season due to fitness issues and 12 the campaign before that.

Arteta will now have to tinker with his team to deal with Partey if he is sidelined for three months. He may opt to move Rice into a more defensive midfield role as he has been playing in a more advanced role since arriving.

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Oleksandr Zinchenko names Arsenal teammate Thomas Partey as the most underrated EPL star

Zinchenko reckons Partey is better than Casemiro.

Partey has been branded as the Premier League's most underrated player by his teammate Oleksandr Zinchenko. The Ukrainian has even claimed that he is a better midfielder than Manchester United's Casemiro.

Zinchenko spoke to former Red Devils captain Rio Ferdinand on Vibe with FIVE when he made the claim. He said:

“I think Thomas Partey (is the most underrated).”

The Arsenal left-back then compared Partey to United's Casemiro who is deemed by many as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world:

"[Casemiro] is absolutely a world-class player as well…five Champions Leagues. But for me, if you wanted me to choose one, it would be Partey.”

Casemiro was a standout performer for the Red Devils last season, not only defensively but also venturing forward. He bagged seven goals and six assists in 51 games across competitions.

However, Partey was just as important to the Gunners as he scored three goals in 40 games across competitions. The Ghanian's injury issues are often the sticking point in debates regarding his place among the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League.

Yet, Zinchenko has spoken extremely highly of the qualities his teammate possesses. He went on to urge Ferdinand to watch Partey in training:

“Rio, please come and see him [Partey] in a training session. He has everything.”

Partey joined Arsenal from Atletico Madrid in 2020 for £45.4 million. He has been a mainstay in the side since, appearing 103 times, scoring five goals and providing four assists. However, he has only won the FA Community Shield during his time in north London.